Coached Monarchs to regionals

By Rick Scoppe-Sports Editor

Published: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 10:00 AM.

That, plus the emergence of the Curry brothers, Kris and Korey, and Davion Ayabarreno as important cogs gave the Monarchs a strong lineup that had few down moments this season and plenty of memorable ones.

There was the win at Clinton that allowed the Monarchs a chance to share the league title with the Dark Horses, provided they win at East Duplin a few nights later, which Northside did. That win, Marshburn said, got him thinking about claiming the league’s No. 1 playoff seed if his team could claim the
ECC
tournament title.

And while some coaches might shy away from outlining the possibilities, Marshburn said he was keeping his players “filled in with the scenarios … and what we wanted to happen. I tell you what, this group they were a bunch of competitors.”

If Marshburn has one regret, it’s that the Monarchs lost a 21-point lead and fell to Fairmont in the East Regional semifinals. He said he’d loved to have a chance to play Kinston two days later in the regional final.

“Kinston’s very, very good,” he said. “But I’d have liked to at least had that opportunity.”

Asked if this year, given what he’d gone through since his heart attack, made him a better coach, Marshburn answered by saying he was different on the sidelines. He had always enjoyed being around his players, but this year he seemed to enjoy it more.

“I was at a lot more at ease this year. I guess I found out it wasn’t a matter of life and death. There’s been years I put so much pressure on myself it seemed like when we lost it was like my life crumbled at times,” he said.

The Monarchs earned a share of the East Central 2-A Conference boys’ regular-season title thanks in no small part to road wins at Clinton and East Duplin.

And they claimed the ECC tournament crown and the No. 1 playoff seed out of the league as well.

The Monarchs also advanced to the NCHSAA 2-A regional semifinals for only the second time in school history and finished 25-4.

Plenty of reasons for 2012-13 to be special.

And then there’s another one: The 55-year-old Marshburn is a survivor.

Just over a year ago — Jan. 12, 2012, to be exact — Marshburn suffered a heart attack after walking outside during practice. And while he returned to the sideline about a month later, the 2012 season was nearing its end at that point.

A full season is an endurance test for players and coaches, with at least two games and that number, or more, of practices each week. And Marshburn did more than endure. He and the Monarchs flourished, which is why the personable coach was named the boys’ coach of the year by The Daily News in a landslide vote of area coaches and the sports staff.

“That’s awesome,” said Marshburn, adding “all the credit” goes to his players and assistant coaches. “It was a phenomenal year, just a really good group of guys this year, fun to be around, accountable. You know, just, wow, what can you say? We won 25 games.

“The last two weeks was so much fun with the tournament championship and sectionals and going to regionals. These kids just played their hearts out. They were fun to watch. I was fortunate enough I had a front-row seat each game just to watch them perform.”

And it was that seat that Marshburn cherished this season more than ever given his brush with his mortality.

“I don’t mind telling you … it was very special in the sense that I think I was really grateful this year,” he said. “I think years past I put a lot of pressure on myself for our team to be good. This year I just said you know, I need to coach, enjoy it. … I guess it was a different perspective. I realized it could have been taken away. It really could have been.

“Obviously anybody has a heart attack, it’s really 50-50. I really felt I was lucky to be alive at one point. … It’s gotten emotional a couple times this year in the sense that I just appreciate that you go through life and I have the opportunity to do what I want to do, and that’s coach. And I’m glad it wasn’t taken away.”

Led by Jamal Parker and Josh Cabrera, who transferred in from Georgia, the Monarchs were good from the get-go. Cabrera’s arrival and handling of the point allowed Parker to shift to the No. 2 guard and “take a little pressure off Jamal’s shoulders,” Marshburn said.

That, plus the emergence of the Curry brothers, Kris and Korey, and Davion Ayabarreno as important cogs gave the Monarchs a strong lineup that had few down moments this season and plenty of memorable ones.

There was the win at Clinton that allowed the Monarchs a chance to share the league title with the Dark Horses, provided they win at East Duplin a few nights later, which Northside did. That win, Marshburn said, got him thinking about claiming the league’s No. 1 playoff seed if his team could claim the ECC tournament title.

And while some coaches might shy away from outlining the possibilities, Marshburn said he was keeping his players “filled in with the scenarios … and what we wanted to happen. I tell you what, this group they were a bunch of competitors.”

If Marshburn has one regret, it’s that the Monarchs lost a 21-point lead and fell to Fairmont in the East Regional semifinals. He said he’d loved to have a chance to play Kinston two days later in the regional final.

“Kinston’s very, very good,” he said. “But I’d have liked to at least had that opportunity.”

Asked if this year, given what he’d gone through since his heart attack, made him a better coach, Marshburn answered by saying he was different on the sidelines. He had always enjoyed being around his players, but this year he seemed to enjoy it more.

“I was at a lot more at ease this year. I guess I found out it wasn’t a matter of life and death. There’s been years I put so much pressure on myself it seemed like when we lost it was like my life crumbled at times,” he said.

“This year I just said we’re going to work hard and we’re going to try to win every game. If for some reason we don’t, we’re going to come back in the next night and talk about it and try to do something to get better for the next game.

“The approach really helped me. I had a great time this year with these guys. I felt really fortunate to be their coach because it was such a good group.”